In the Thereafter
by liviafan1
Summary: She lasts ten minutes in the precinct before she drags his chair away, all too much a reminder of the choice he made: to put Nikki Heat to rest and start anew with a shiny British spy. Season Two AU. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**This little AU takes place during Season Two, specifically "When the Bough Breaks." What would've happened to Castle and Beckett's relationship if he walked away to write the spy series?**

* * *

She watches him go. She's immobile, standing in the hotel lobby as he strolls out, phone attached to his ear as he listens to Paula's blather. She should leave, too, has no real reason to stay other than to avoid another half-awkward goodbye on the sidewalk. She doesn't trust herself today, not her body or her voice. She wants him to stay, but more than that-

She wants him to _want _to stay.

And she's terrified that she might actually say something to that effect when confronted with those piercing blue eyes-

She's not thinking clearly today, all heart and no brain.

The twinge of emptiness that he's left with her is almost startling. She half-stumbles back into the precinct, so much air around her without him there, pushing her buttons, making her laugh, pouring her coffee.

She lasts ten minutes before she drags his chair away, all too much a reminder of the choice he made-to put Nikki Heat to rest and start anew with a shiny British spy. She maneuvers it into a dusty corner of the break room, but that's not good enough either.

Ryan and Esposito catch her with it on her way to the supply closet.

"Going somewhere with Castle's chair, Beckett?" Ryan asks, blue eyes all too knowing for her level of comfort.

"It's in the way," she huffs, blowing her bangs out of her face.

Ryan crosses his arms. "Of what, exactly?"

"It-just-I don't have to explain myself to you two." She rolls her eyes and pushes past them, knocking into Esposito's shoulder. Hmph. Serves 'em right.

It looks out of place in the tiny, dimly-lit room, but what does she expect, really?

Three days later, she's certain her mind is playing tricks on her as his voice filters in from the elevator, enthusiastically greeting Ryan and Esposito on their way out to question a witness.

But seconds later, there he is-

_Castle_.

"Hey." She suppresses a shiver at the sound of his voice, the way it travels down her spine to her toes. She lifts her eyes from her desk, finds his bright, smiling gaze.

"Hey." But it's breathy and girly and-so wrong. She shakes her head, composing herself. "What are you doing here?"

"Free espresso," he says with a grin. She can't tell if he's joking or not.

"Well, help yourself," she says lamely.

His smile falters and _goddamit_, this is what she'd been hoping to avoid all along.

"So how's the writing coming?" she blurts out.

"Great. Excellent. Couldn't be better," he boasts.

"Good."

"Good." He stalks away towards the break room then and she can't help but admire the way he looks in jeans today, the perfect curve of his-

Ah, shit.

She's way too exhausted for this mental back and forth. She reaches for her coffee mug and lifts it to her lips before she realizes that it's empty.

"Here." He thrusts a fresh, steaming mug in front of her face and she nearly sighs with relief at the sight of it.

"Thanks," she says gratefully, indulging in a long sip.

He's fumbling at the edge of her desk, looking for-

"You got rid of my chair already?" he asks and she can tell he's going for joking, mustering up a weak laugh, but it falls flat.

She's hurt him.

"It-I-kept tripping over it," she lies. It's lame, so very _lame_, but what else is she supposed to say? _It reminded me too much of you, Castle_.

"Oh."

"Did you really come all this way for coffee?" Her mind is dizzy, a little all over the place, but she doesn't know what to do with _this_ now. This _whatever_between them.

Yeah, she really needs to go to bed early tonight.

He shrugs. "Thought I'd drop by and say hello to the guys."

"Oh. Right." The dejection in her tone is loud and clear in her ears and she wonders if she's ever been good at hiding how she's feeling.

He sighs and she wonders if he's as exasperated as she is by everything. "I missed you," he admits softly.

…._what_?

"Okay."

"_Okay_? That's all you have to say?"

She groans. "What do you want me to say, Castle? It hasn't been the same without you here, okay?" It's nowhere near the same thing as what he's said, but she can't-

She doesn't know how to do that. Put her ego aside and tell him that she doesn't remember how she worked without him. Doesn't know how she can ever go back to the way it was before he came along.

She can't.

She knows him well enough to know that he won't push, won't call her out on her bullshit even if he sees right through her.

And she's not sure that he does.

"Kate." Her first name on his lips is enough to startle her back into attention. "Do you wanna get dinner with me sometime?" His tone is soft, gentle even, any trace of annoyance gone.

Huh.

"Dinner?" She swallows. "You mean like a-"

"Just dinner, Kate. A meal between friends."

_Friends._

"Okay, Castle."

* * *

**I've had this in my head for a while now. Right now, I'm not really sure how long it'll be or how far I'll take it. Just something I wanted to play around with for a bit. I'm not certain how this'll be received either because of how far we've progressed in the show.**

**So I'd love to hear your thoughts.**

**Liv**


	2. Chapter 2

She cancels on him three times in one week. The first time she'd been in the middle of breaking a suspect-so close to nailing the bastard-and didn't want to lose the momentum, the little power high that kept her on her toes. The second time she'd been stumbling into a pair of jeans and a printed blouse when she got a call from Dispatch about a body drop.

The third time she was too exhausted, hadn't seen the inside of her bedroom in over 72 hours. She felt terrible about it, but she knew neither of them really wanted to deal with a sleep-deprived, overly snarky Beckett.

He calls her a few days later when she's on her way out to the M.E.'s office to look over some evidence.

"Hey, Castle," She mouths her location to a passing Ryan and Esposito as she steps onto the empty elevator car. "Still on for dinner tonight?"

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about that."

She chuckles. "Your turn to cancel?"

He laughs. "No. Left my schedule wide open for this one, Beckett." It's a joke, she knows it, but it catches her a little off-guard, the stakes he's placed on this, the efforts he's made to make this happen.

_Dinner between friends._

Her hand finds the wall, palm pressed tightly against it to steady herself.

"Still there?"

The phone is cradled between her ear and shoulder now, her sweaty palm slipping down the front of her face. "Yeah." She swallows. "Still here."

"Good." He pauses. "I was wondering how you felt about having dinner at the loft."

She nearly drops her phone. "At your _apartment_?" She manages to keep her voice to a low squeak.

If he notices, he doesn't say anything. "Yeah. I've got all the supplies to make us a little home-cooked meal. Mother and Alexis have theater tickets tonight, anyway, so it would just be the two of us."

She steps off the ground floor, her feet unusually wobbly in her stilettos. "I mean, if you have your heart set on it, I guess-"

"Great. I'll see you here at seven then."

And then the line goes dead.

_Damn it, Castle._

A public dinner she can deal with. Other people around them, her defenses armed and ready at her side, untouchable in a place where he can't poke at her walls. No room for any boundaries to be crossed.

She'll only stay two hours at most. She has an early morning tomorrow.

Which is a lie, actually. She has tomorrow off.

But he doesn't need to know that.

* * *

She almost manages to slip out of the office without another Spanish Inquisition, but Lanie catches her at the last second, her short term memory catching up with her.

"You want me to come over tonight to pick out a hot little number for your date with Castle?"

Kate huffs out a breath, spinning on her heel. "It's not a date, Lanie."

"Mmm-hmm. If it's not a date, why are you so worked up about it?"

Lanie notices her hesitation, the way she pulls at her lip, the wringing of her hands. "Spill it, girl."

"He wants to have dinner at his place."

Lanie raises an eyebrow. "And?"

"And _everything_, Lanie. It's just supposed to be dinner."

"Kate. With the two of you, it's never going to be _just dinner_. And the sooner you realize that, the easier this will be for both of you."

She sighs, shaking her head. Maybe she should just call the whole thing off, go back to being strangers who used to know each other. Acquaintances. Mutual admirers of each other's work.

Even if the thought makes her a little nauseous.

"You're scared, aren't you?"

Kate's head snaps up, her response almost just as swift. "No."

Lanie ignores the lie. "You wanna talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about." She turns to leave, a hand on the door before she flips back briefly. "I'll call you," she says softly. Lanie means well, her lovely best friend, but Kate's no good at this. Not when she can't even verbalize everything she's feeling to _herself_yet, let alone another person.

Lanie smiles. No harm done. "Have a good time, sweetie."

She hitches out a little sigh of relief and nods. "Thanks."

* * *

She makes it out of the precinct ahead of schedule, enough time to go home and shower before dinner.

She forces herself into a pair of jeans and a red sweater before she allows herself to overthink it and slip into a dress.

Maybe it _is_just dinner.

God. Shut up, Kate.

Even after her shower, her hair is limp and awkward around her face, so she tosses it up into a ponytail, whipping her bangs down over her eyes. Better.

She slides on a bit of mascara and lip gloss before she's out the door, her leather jacket wrapped around her frame, suede boots adorning her feet.

* * *

He opens the door with a dish towel thrown over his shoulder, an apron wrapped around his waist, a thousand watt smile across his mouth. He pulls her into a loose, one-armed hug, his delicious cologne wafting through her nose, muddling her senses.

Get it together, Beckett.

"Can I take your coat?" he asks as she follows him in, shutting the door behind her.

"Yeah. Sure. Thanks." She shrugs it off and hands it to him, a little awkward in the doorway as he moves to the coat closet.

"Dinner smells heavenly, Castle," she says softly, her stomach growling as the simmering pasta sauce assaults her senses.

He reappears, bright-eyed and pleased with her compliment. "Should be ready in a few minutes," he promises, leading her into the kitchen. She leans her hip against the island as he settles himself in front of the stove, lifting a wooden spoonful of sauce to his lips.

"Mmmm," he moans, licking his lips. He holds it out to her, cupping the air just below it. "Wanna try it?"

She hesitates only a second before she leans forward and wraps her lips around the utensil, swiping her tongue along the rim. Delicious.

"It's fantastic," she hums, flicking her eyes away from his darkening gaze.

She hasn't even been here five minutes yet.

Her cheeks start to flame as his gaze lingers just a little too long, a little too intense. He turns back to the stove, flicking the knob off.

"Would you mind opening the wine?" he asks, nudging his head toward the single bottle on the counter.

She freezes, her fingers frozen in a curl against the edge of the table. She switches the banter on after she gets herself together, a few seconds too long. "Didn't have you pegged as the type to drink an entire bottle of wine with dinner, Castle."

"Is that your thinly-veiled attempt at telling me you're not having any?" he asks, throwing her a look over her shoulder.

She rolls her eyes. "I'll just stick with water."

"Why? Don't you have the day off tomorrow?" He pulls down a few plates from the cupboard.

She frowns. "When did I tell you that?"

He spins back to her, silverware in hand. "When we made plans the last time. You said Ryan and Esposito were on call."

Damn, she did.

Well, there goes any excuse she had to duck out early.

"But, hey. If you don't want any-" Oh, no. She's gonna need at least a couple of glasses to make it through this night with him. Just a little something to take the edge off.

Assuming she doesn't do anything stupid.

"Just hand me the bottle, Castle."

* * *

**Thoughts?**

**Liv**


	3. Chapter 3

Ten minutes later and she's settling down at the table, glass of wine in hand, plate of steaming pasta in the other. He sets down a basket of dinner rolls and a side of butter before he sits down to her left.

Hmm. Maybe she shouldn't have sat on the end.

She lifts the wine glass to her lips and takes a long sip, relishing the cool slide of it down her throat. She catches him watching her carefully out of the corner of her eye.

She raises an eyebrow. "Something on your mind?"

"Just." He hesitates. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, Castle." Kind of a lie. She's kind of freaking out. Just a little.

Dinner between friends. Riiiiiight.

She clears her throat and reaches for her wineglass again. The man's gonna have to wheel her out of here before the night's over.

He chuckles, leaning over to reach for the butter. "Rough day?" he guesses.

She shrugs. "Not really. A lot of paperwork. Follow-up calls to witnesses and the D.A.'s office. All routine."

He tears off a bite of his bread. "Boring without me there, isn't it?"

She rolls her eyes, won't give him the satisfaction. Because of course he's right. She's bored out of her _goddamn_mind without him there, spinning insane theories and annoying her with loud games of Angry Birds.

"Come on, Beckett. Admit it. You miss me." He waggles his eyebrows and she has to bite down on her lip to keep from laughing.

She manages a snort. "Don't flatter yourself, Castle."

"I'll take that as a yes." He grins, slipping a bite of pasta into his mouth.

"Shut up and eat your dinner," she huffs, scraping her fork against her plate.

She's a little disappointed when he does.

* * *

She clears the dishes away when they're finished, needs something to do to fill the silence that's settled between them, which isn't awkward, but it still-

It unsettles her. She realizes that she thrives on his familiar chatter, it keeps her comfortable. Status quo.

She flicks on the faucet and plugs the drain before she rolls up her sleeves.

"You know you don't have to do that." His breath is warm against her neck, his hand solid at her back as he slides to her side. She swallows hard, clenching her fists under the trickling water. She shifts her weight and waits for his hand to fall away.

"You made dinner," she starts weakly. "Least I can do." She picks up a glass and a sponge, busying herself with the mundane task.

"But we haven't even had dessert yet." His voice is low, husky, practically dripping with sex and _oh, she's a little dizzy_. The cup slips out of her fingers and falls into the water, splashing her in the face, prickling awareness back into her vision.

She cuts her eyes to his, expects to find them dark and dilating, but the only thing reflecting out of them is humor laced with a touch of concern.

"As in cake, Beckett. Alexis and I made Devil's Foodcake earlier," he explains. "There's still some left over and we've got some vanilla ice cream in the freezer."

"Right." She nods, forces a little smile. "Sounds great." She turns back to the dishes, now fully flushed and alert.

"Kate."

She closes her eyes briefly, sucking in a long breath. "Yeah, Castle?"

"This isn't supposed to be painful. I would never ask you to do something that I thought would make you uncomfortable."

She shakes her head. "I'm not-"

"You are. And that's okay, just-" He lets out a self-deprecating breath, the turn of his lips doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Don't feel obligated to stay. You're free to go whenever you'd like."

He starts to turn away, but she doesn't let him, reaches out for his shirttail with a soapy hand. "No, Castle-" His eyes dart to her hand, surprised. She drops it, shaking her head. "It's not the company, Castle. It's-" she breaks off, her teeth tugging at her lip. "We're friends, right? You and I-we're friends."

"'Course."

"And you like being my friend?" The words are awkward coming out of her mouth, but she really doesn't want to have this conversation. And she doesn't know how else to say it without-

Well, saying it.

He looks at her as if she's sprouted two heads, but slowly nods nonetheless. Completely clueless as to what she's really saying, but she'll take it. Subtext be damned.

"Good." She grins, her body relaxing as the tension starts to drain out of her. "Now I believe you mentioned something about cake."

* * *

She's settled onto his couch, her feet tucked under her, bowl in her lap.

"So tell me more about this new book deal you've signed. Assuming it's not all hush-hush anymore." She rolls her eyes, her mouth wrapped in a smile around her spoon.

He laughs. "No, it's all official now. The ink's drying on a three book deal with the option of more if they sell well."

"You're not worried, are you?"

He shrugs. "New territory. Just because I can write a solid mystery, doesn't mean..."

She cocks her head, surprised by his insecurity. "'Solid'? Your novels are more than solid, Castle."

He smirks. What-

Oh. Busted. "So I've read a few. For research purposes."

"Right. 'Research purposes.'" The spark in his eyes tells her that he doesn't believe her story for a second.

"_Anyway,_" she draws out. "I don't think you've got anything to worry about."

"Well, that's very kind of you, Detective Beckett. My ego thanks you."

She scoffs. "Just what you need. A bigger head."

"My head is not that big, I assure you."

She lifts an eyebrow, sinking her teeth into the inside of her cheek. Oh, too easy.

He narrows his eyes. "Not what I meant. That area is plenty-"

"_Castle_." She lets out a startled, incredulous laugh. She reaches behind her for a pillow and swats him with it.

"Right. Message received."

Her spoon clatters to the bottom of her bowl as she takes one last bite of her dessert, deliciously full and warm. "Thanks for dinner, Castle. Everything was delicious."

He smiles warmly, pleased, sparkling eyes. "Anytime, Kate."

She lets out a little warm, sleepy sigh. She's only been here a couple of hours and it's really not too late, but the cozy warmth of his apartment makes her wanna cuddle up and fall asleep.

In her bed, that is. Not-

Yeah.

"Normally, I'd offer up my guest room, but I'm assuming you wouldn't take me up on that?" At her affirmance, he says, "In that case, you want me to take you home?"

She smiles at his thoughtfulness. "That's sweet of you, Castle, but I can drive. Just a little tired is all." She leans back over the arm of his couch, stretching her spine out a little. She jerks forward when she feels the warm air assault her skin as her shirt rides up just slightly. She blushes, finds his eyes darting away from her body, his hand kneading the back of his neck.

"I should get going," she says softly.

He grips the edge of the couch tight in his palm before releasing it with a slight exhale. "I'll get your coat."

Hmm. Odd.  
She swings her legs to the floor and slips her feet back into her shoes before trailing after him. He holds it up for her, easy enough to just slide her arms through. She hesitates, almost just takes it from him, but-

No. It's fine.

She slips into it and buttons it effortlessly. When she lifts her head to meet his gaze again, it catches her off-guard. Too warm. Too intense.

"When can I see you again, Kate?" he asks softly, lifting a hand to brush her bangs from her eyes.

She shivers, ducking her head away from his hand. "Castle, what-" She breaks off on a swallow, taking a step back from him. But he's persistent, takes a step forward. And then her back hits the door with a dull _thud_ and he's _so close_-

He presses a palm to the door, inches from her cheek. Even with her heels on, he dwarfs her, his large, warm body bending over hers.

"I don't wanna be your friend, Kate," he rasps, dark, smoky. He trails a hand lightly down her arm and it takes all of her willpower not to look up. But then his fingers find his way to her chin, brushing against it before nudging gently. Her heart pounds, rushing through her ears, tunneling her vision.

"Castle," she protests weakly. "Think about this." His eyes are so dark now and she shudders with it, her hands curling against the door.

"Fight it all you want, Beckett, but I'm coming for you," he breathes.

And then his hot mouth falls onto hers.

* * *

**Thoughts?**

**Liv**


	4. Chapter 4

She gasps against his lips, her fingers clutching weakly at the ends of his shirt. His hands are warm at her hips, _so very hot_, pressing her into the door. She leans into him unconsciously, doesn't know how to fight the assault on her senses. _Ohhh_. Too much. Her tongue paints words against his, everything she's wanted to say since he's left. She rolls her hips into his, lifting her fingers to scrape against his back. He groans, jolts his pelvis into hers so she's hitting the door again.

Fuck. She can't-

_Ohh_, she can't do this.

"Castle," she murmurs, bringing her hands around to push at him half-heartedly. God, she just wants-

He hums against her lips, vibrations that send tingles down her spine. She shakes her head. "We can't," she whispers, sliding her mouth away from his. She lifts a hand to the side of her face in a deep sigh as he pants gently against her cheek, his forehead pressed into her hair. His hands fall from her sides and she hears them scrape against the door. Maybe in frustration, she's not sure.

She can't meet his gaze, can already feel her resolve crumbling. "I should go."

"Talk to me, Kate." His voice is strong and clear, but she hears a little bit of a plea in there too and she feels her heart clench violently in her chest.

"Can't. Not tonight." She doesn't wait for him to move away, simple slides out of his grasp, out of the space he's boxed her in. She opens the door a little, waits for him to move out of the way. His sigh makes her pause in the doorway, eyes closed, teeth clenched.

"I'm sorry." It's broken, maybe even too quiet for his ears. But then she's closing the door behind her and fleeing to the elevator, her body humming, limbs buzzing. Her skin is still hot and feverish, like he's branded her with his touch. She rips her coat off and tosses it over her arm, relieved as she steps into the crisp night air.

God, she's gonna need at least a week of cold showers.

* * *

She tells herself that she's not avoiding him; she's just too busy to answer his phone calls. After a couple of days, he even shows up at the precinct, which throws her off completely. She shouldn't be surprised, but he catches her off guard and she scrambles for the phone and sticks it to her ear, pretending to listen intently to the other end. Before he can even open his mouth, she's apologizing profusely, she just _has to get to the morgue_.

Ryan and Esposito give her hell when she returns hours later. Said he even stuck around to buy them lunch before he had to get to a meeting with Black Pawn, no longer able to wait around for her.

He doesn't deserve this. And she knows that.

And she'll find some way to make it up to him as soon as she figures out what the hell she's doing with him.

She's tight-lipped around Lanie for a few days until she can't keep it to herself any longer. She bursts in the day after Castle's drop-in, knows she can't hold him off any longer.

She needs someone to tell her what to do.

"I need your help," she confesses, all breathless and flustered.

"You finally gonna tell me what happened between you and Castle the other night?" Lanie asks, lifting her head away from the body she's examining.

"We kinda..." She bites her lip. "We made out a little."

Lanie raises her eyebrows. "I knew you two would combust sooner or later. Now what are we talking? A goodnight kiss?"

"Yes? He kind of ambushed me, but..." she trails off, ducking her flushed face. "I liked it, Lanie. I liked it a lot."

"Girl, you're gonna have to fill in the blanks because I'm not seeing the problem here."

"He's _Castle_," she huffs. "He's annoying and womanizing and so damn infuriating and-"

"Sexy? Gorgeous? Crazy about you?" Lanie finishes.

"He's not-"

"Kate, you and Castle are about the only ones who can't see how you two feel about each other. That boy is crazy about you. We _all_see it every time he looks at you."

She rolls her eyes. "Like he wants to take my clothes off."

"No, like he lo-"

Kate's head snaps up, startled. "Like he what, Lanie?"

"You _know_what. I'm not gonna spell it out because I know you, Kate Beckett. You'll go running in the opposite direction if you think that man has deep feelings for you." Lanie shakes her head. "It doesn't have to be all or nothing, you know. You can take it slow, see how things go."

Slow? Yeah, sounds real easy considering that she almost jumped him in his apartment the other night.

Against his front door, nevertheless.

"I'm not saying it won't be hard. Lord knows the two of you have been fighting it since you met," Lanie says, reading her mind. "But don't you think he deserves a chance?"

"Yes," she groans. Because he does. She owes him that.

She owes _herself_that.

"So go talk to him. And drop all that subtext you two are so fond of, hmm?"

Kate rolls her eyes as she turns away. "Thank you," she calls over her shoulder.

She checks her watch, decides that now is as good a time as any for a lunch break. She pulls out her phone on a shaky sigh and dials his number.

"I see you decided to stop avoiding me, Detective," he greets. She hears the joke, but she also knows him well enough to know when he's playing it off to protect himself.

"I called to apologize to you in person, Castle. Thought maybe we could...talk or something."

His end is silent and she wonders if he's assessing the level of risk, if it's worth it for another dead-end conversation. "What'd you have in mind?" he asks after a moment.

She lets out a sigh, closing her eyes. "I'm due for a lunch break. You free?"

"Yeah, I'm just finishing an outline. Remy's in twenty?" he asks.

She smiles. "See you then."

* * *

She grabs a booth near the window and orders a water, perusing the menu without actually reading it. She's not hungry in the slightest, but she hasn't eaten since seven when she grabbed a granola bar on her way out.

She doesn't notice him come in until he's sliding in across from her. She looks up, almost startled, and hastily closes the menu. "Hi," she blurts out. Oh, God. Smooth, Kate.

He lifts an eyebrow, his blue eyes bright and amused. "Hi," he parrots back to her.

"Hungry?" she asks.

He shrugs. "I could eat."

When the waitress returns, she orders a plate of fries and a coffee. Burger and chocolate shake for him.

She starts to fiddle with a napkin, trying to find the words that she wants to say. But she can-Yeah, she can start with the apology.

"I'm sorry, Castle," she says softly. "I'm sorry about the other night." She lets out a slow breath. "And I should've talked to you instead of ignoring your calls."

"Are you apologizing for what happened the other night or for running out without talking to me?"

She falters. "Does it matter?"

"Apologizing for what happened implies that you think our kiss was a mistake." He pauses. "So yeah, I think that it matters, Kate."

Oh, he really isn't going to make this easy for her, is he?

"The kiss isn't the problem, Castle. I...the kiss was nice." She winces.

"_Nice_?" She'd laugh if he wasn't so offended.

She groans. "That's not-It was amazing, okay?"

He sits up a little straighter, a little pleased with himself. "I'm not seeing the problem here."

She rolls her eyes. "You and everybody else," she mutters. "I don't...I don't do relationships well, Castle. In fact, it'd be an understatement to say that I suck at them."

"So we'll go slow. Figure it out together."

She grits her teeth. "It's not that easy."

"The hell it isn't, Beckett. Wouldn't you rather try and say you did then give up before anything starts?"

She leans back in her seat, defeated.

"I might be out of line for saying this, but..." he trails off as her fingers curl against her legs, bracing herself against his words. "I think we could be incredible together," he finishes softly.

Ohhhh.

She swallows hard. "I like having you in my life, Castle," she admits. "I don't want to screw it all up." Of course, now that he's stopped shadowing her, there hasn't been much to screw up.

Still. She'd hate to ruin it.

"I haven't let you get rid of me yet. What makes you think I'd start now?"

She smiles a little, rolling her eyes. "You are annoying like that."

"So does this count as our first date then?"

She throws her napkin at him.

* * *

**Love to hear from you.**

**Liv**


End file.
